Miscarriage of Justice
by Blue Symphony
Summary: Veronica is accused of murder. The evidence is overwhelming. Desperate to clear her, Logan enlists Weevil & Wallace to help him sort the truth from Fiction. Can they take what they have learned and clear her name?
1. Bad Way to Wake Up

It was dark, and it took a minute for the fog of sleep to clear. Veronica sat up and yawning, ran her hand through her hair. Glancing wearily at the LED display next to her, she noted the time and inwardly groaned. 10.00! And she didn't feel rested in the slightest.

Veronica reached over and pulled on the blind cord to release the blackout blind, an essential item for someone who has stayed out all night tailing people. As the blinds flicked up, Veronica noticed a red smudge on the white cord. She looked down at her hands and a small shriek stuck in her throat....

Blood. All over her hands. All over her blankets. All over her clothes. She got up hurriedly and ran to her mirror – God! It was all over her hair! She forced herself to take a deep breath, and tried to rationalise her thoughts. Think! What happened last night?

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts and she glanced around, looking at the door apprehensively.

"Who is it?"

"Veronica, Its Logan. You need to stop avoiding me; we need to talk about this!"

Somewhat relieved, she ran to the door and opened it. Whatever Logan was about to say stopped when he saw the condition that she was in.

"What the hell happened?! Is that your blood?"

Veronica grabbed his arm and practically hauled him into the apartment. She shut the door and locked it and turned to Logan. She looked him in the face and took a deep breath.

"I.... I don't know. I woke up covered in blood Logan and I can't remember what happened! I'm still dressed in last night's clothes, and... It's BLOOD, Logan!"

She started shaking, wondering what to say next. Logan reached to hug her but she stepped back.

"Don't Logan. Whatever this is, its evidence. I can't even wash it off." Brain working frantically, she looked at him again. "I need you to get something for me from my room. Under my desk is a blue container, please bring it out here".

Logan ran for her room and was back in minutes, carrying a large metal case. He looked inquiringly at her.

"Open the case, and pull out the swab kit. I will also need the small yellow envelopes and the tweezers".

Logan opened the case and removed the items.

"Okay, I need you to put on some gloves, and swab the blood. Be careful not to touch it. When you have done that, you need to put the swab in one of the plastic bags".

Logan looked at her alarmingly, but did as she asked. Once the swab had been taken, he asked her "What next?"

Just then they heard a key in the door and they both turned to see Keith Mars walk in the door, followed by a Deputy.

"Loga.. Veronica! What happened? What's going on here?"

Veronica looked at her father and nodded in the direction of the Deputy.

Keith motioned the deputy to wait outside and turned back towards his daughter.

"We got an anonymous call that we should check on you, that something illegal was going on here. Veronica, why are you covered in blood?"

"I don't know Dad, I woke up like this! I can't remember last night!"

He looked pointedly at Logan. Logan cleared his throat nervously.

"I came to talk to Veronica and she opened the door like this. I've only been here 5 minutes, Mr. Mars, I swear".

Keith looked at the case and his eyes shot back up to search his daughters face. "Why is the evidence kit out?"

Veronica looked back at her father and replied "Because I know what happens next. I ring you, get taken to hospital to be checked out, and evidence will be collected before I am officially questioned. I would rather have a head start than be left in the dark."

Keith looked at his daughter and nodded. However he reached down grab a pair of gloves and took the tweezers and envelope off Logan, and completed the next step himself. Taking his daughters hand in his own, she scraped under her fingernails and dropped the contents into the envelope, sealing it shut.

He stepped out and handed the evidence to his deputy, before turning back to his daughter.

"There. Done. Now let's go to the hospital".

He left Veronica & Logan in the living room and walked into her room to get her a coat and some shoes. Seeing something flash out of the corner of his eye, he knelt down and looked under the bed.

A serrated knife lay there, covered in blood. Keith froze, before grabbing the end of the handle with the gloves he still held in his hand. Turning, he carried the items out to the still quiet couple.

"Veronica?"

She turned, and he saw panic in her eyes. She looked at him pleadingly.

"Let's go. We need to find out what the hell happened last night".

Veronica glanced at Logan & nodded. He took the coat off Keith and laid it over her shoulders like a cloak. Looking at her feet, he motioned her to let him put her shoes on but she shook her head.

"I can walk barefoot"

As they walked out of the door, Keith having put the knife in one of the evidence bags from the kit, the deputy stepped forward.

"Uh... Sheriff? A call was made reporting a situation at the Kane Mansion. Celeste Kane was found dead this morning. She was stabbed repeatedly." His eyes flicked to the knife in Keith's hands, but Keith's eyes flew to his daughters face.

She had gone deathly white.

Veronica screamed in her mind and welcomed the darkness.

Before anyone could catch her, she slumped in a dead faint at their feet.


	2. An Arresting Moment

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story apart from Deputy Richards. I do, however, idolise Rob Thomas....**

Veronica's eyes fluttered and she heard Logan's voice. "I think she's coming around. Can I get some help here?"

Veronica opened her eyes and the room swam into view. A person in vivid blue clothing was walking towards her – A nurse. She turned her head and realised that she was at Neptune Private.

"What Happened?"

"Just lay still Miss Mars, you fainted. You've been unconscious for at least half an hour".

The events of the morning rushed back to her and she pushed the nurse out of the way.

"Logan! It happened? It really happened? Celeste is dead?"

Logan stood next to her bed, his body language already telling her what she wanted to know.

Veronica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She mentally reviewed the facts: She couldn't remember the evening, she had woken up covered in blood and a woman who could easily be considered her nemesis was now dead. Veronica knew that whatever was about to happen next would not bode well for her.

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Logan clenched his fist as he waited outside Veronica's hospital room. Keith had wisely instructed his deputy to take Veronica's statement once the doctor had completed his check-up, and Logan was more than concerned that he couldn't be in there with her. She was a tough woman, but somehow Logan knew that this could be the thing to make or break Veronica Mars.

He heard footsteps and glanced up. Keith Mars was headed towards him talking on the phone. "What? What time was this? And it hasn't been doctored?" He nodded at Logan. "Okay. Well if you get any more info, please let me know. Yeah, I will. Thanks Cliff."

Keith put the phone in his pocket and turned to Logan. "Cliff has offered his services as Veronica's lawyer, and it looks like she is going to need one. Apparently there is security footage of Veronica on the Kane Estate last night."

Logan froze.

"And??!"

"And, that's it. She is seen in the gardens, but not in the house. Unfortunately, it doesn't disprove that she hasn't committed murder, but it does make her a person of interest... well, more so than being covered in blood with a bloody knife nearby." Keith swallowed, and forced back the wave of nausea that had been surfacing all morning.

Logan pushed himself away from the wall. "There has got to be something we can do! What about tests, witnesses, anything?"

Keith rubbed his eyes wearily. "It's still really early Logan; at this point I don't even have a clear idea of what happened last night. All I know is that Jake Kane returned to the property last night and found Celeste lying in the entrance foyer, in a pool of blood. Until the rest of the department returns from the crime scene, that's all we can go on".

The conversation stopped as the door to Veronica's room swung open. Deputy Richards stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Sheriff, I can't do any more here. I've taken her statement, but she will need to come down to the station to answer more questions. The doctor has given her the all clear." He paused, and taking a breath, continued. "Keith – you know what we have to do in this situation. A murder has been committed on a VERY high profile person. This would normally fall under your jurisdiction as Sheriff. But the suspect is your daughter. We need.... we need to call the Feds."

Keith stared at the floor.

"Keith?"

"Do it. I will stay right back."

Logan had heard enough. "You're not even going to help your own daughter? What IS that? You will let her be put to the same scrutiny you did Jake Kane when Lilly died?"

Keith grabbed Logan's shirt and pushed him against the wall, ignoring Deputy Richards attempts to pull him away "What RIGHT do you have to question my actions? My hands are TIED Logan. She is my daughter and I **CANNOT** do anything for her. Do you get that?" He released him, and with a shake of his head, entered Veronica's room.

Logan stared after him, before storming down the hall.

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"Dad?"

Still facing the door, Keith heard the strain in his daughter voice and swallowed to allay the sudden lump in his throat. How was he going to tell his daughter that the situation was worsening?

"Daddy? I know this is bad. What do I do?" The voice came out in barely a whisper. Keith had never seen his daughter like this before. She seemed broken, alone, and weak.

He walked to the bedside and pulled her into his arms. She was clean now, all evidence having been removed. He kissed the top of her head, wishing she was still a little girl that he could protect.

"You stay calm, and do nothing. We have been through bad things before, we can get through this." He hugged her fiercely, and felt her shake.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." He replied.

They stayed that way for what felt like hours, a father lending his daughter all the support he could.

The door opened and Deputy Richards stepped in.

"The doctors have found that a strain of a specific virus in the blood that was found on the knife and you, Veronica. The same virus was found in Celeste's blood during the autopsy."

They both stared at him.

Deputy Richards braced himself for what he was about to do.

"Veronica Mars, you are under arrest for the murder of Celeste Kane"........

**Unbate those breaths! I am following a plotline, and the chapters will come fairly regularly.**

**Please review – I'm told it's addictive (Thanks Breyzie) and it may spur me on to write faster!**


	3. A Meeting with the Feds

**YAY – A New Chapter! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter – I think I lost track of how many times I checked my emails for reviews (HINT HINT :))**

Logan had been waiting in the Foyer of the Neptune Sheriff's office for 3 hours. He checked his watch wearily and stretched, his body cramped from sitting so long. It was nearly 6.00pm, which would explain why his stomach was grumbling.

He could slip out and get something to eat, but he knew he had to know what was happening with Veronica before anything else could happen.

He had absolutely no idea what to do next. Yes, he was angry; Veronica had gotten herself into trouble yet again. But something was different this time. Veronica's hard shell had all but evaporated at the hospital. The fact that she couldn't remember anything had really rattled her, and she was showing no signs of her usual self.

Can't really blame her, Logan thought.

His eye was caught by two men, average looking, in cheap synthetic suits. These guys were official, it was obvious. Their clothing alone screamed Feds, and the outline of the shoulder holster did nothing to dispel the fact.

He watched as they approached the desk, one of them reaching inside a pocket and withdrawing a badge. He leaned forward, listening.

"I'm Agent Gatten, this is Agent Harris, and we're from the FBI. Can you tell us where to find Sheriff Mars?"

The door to the interview room opened and Veronica emerged in Handcuffs, Cliff by her side. All thoughts of eavesdropping slid from Logan's mind as he saw her eyes. She was shaken and it showed.

Keith followed her out of the room and nodded to the deputies. They gently took Veronica's elbow and led her to the cells. Her eyes caught Logan's as she passed him and in the instant he realised just how much he could be losing. And then she was gone.

He blinked quickly to try and rid his eyes of the hot tears that had appeared.

"Logan?"

He dashed his hand across his face and looked in the direction of the voice. Keith stood at the doorway of his office, beckoning. Logan walked towards the office and stopped when he saw the suits sitting in the office. They stared back, just as interested.

"Mr. Mars?"

"Logan, come into my office with me. Please."

Logan followed Keith in and shut the door.

'Agents Gatten & Harris, this is Logan Echolls, Veronica's boyfriend." Logan's eyes flew to Keith's face at the lie, but he stayed silent. "I want you to give Logan any information regarding Veronica that you would give me."

The suits looked at each other and shrugged. What harm could that do?

Agent Harris spoke up first. "Okay. Firstly, we will need to have a conversation with Veronica without you there, Keith. Her lawyer will be present of course, but we've found that suspects usually tend to open up a little more if family is not around."

Keith nodded his assent.

"As you know Keith, this afternoon when we were first called in, we instigated a search on your apartment. We seized several items, most notably a pair of shoes that had blood on the sole. We also took DNA samples taken from Veronica at the hospital to match against the samples found at the crime scene."

Keith and Logan both sat forward.

"The victim's husband is so desperate for answers that we were able to gain access to some of the finer labs in the country. It's amazing what money can get for you, all the results were expedited. The bottom line is that the blood on the knife and your daughter does match Celeste Kane, as does the blood on the shoes. A fingerprint on the knife matches your daughter, as does some hair at the crime scene."

Logan felt like his stomach had turned to lead.

"His lawyers are asking that she be charged with First Degree Murder"

"WHAT??!" Logan exploded out of his chair, Keith acting just as quickly by lunging at him and holding him back. "What the FUCK do they think they are doing? Veronica is not a murderer. Are they insane?"

Harris looked at Gatten, surprised at how much force had come from someone who he had initially pegged as a non threat.

"Logan, SIT down". Keith ordered, sensing that the danger moment had passed. You had to hand it to the kid – they weren't even dating and an insult to her was still reason enough for Logan to go ballistic.

"Their case is all evidence of Veronica at the crime scene. They think that will be enough" Gatten said. "We are not putting our hands in the air just yet; we intend to do a thorough investigation. So the first think that we need to confirm is regarding you, Keith."

"And what would that be?" Keith replied.

"We need to know that you are not going to be muddling the waters, so to speak. You CANNOT get into this, as tempting as it may be. On our end, we will keep you informed as we go along. And of course, we will follow your wishes and keep Mr. Echolls informed as well."

Logan nodded, relaxing slightly. At least he wasn't going to be kept in the dark.

Keith rubbed his brow and sighed. "Yes, of course. I will concentrate on solving the other criminal activities happening out there."

Harris stood 'Well, I'd like to get started straight away". He reached out and shook Keith's hand, and turned to Logan. "Keep that temper under check Mr. Echolls and we should get on fine." He held out his hand and after a moment's hesitation, Logan took it.

Harris motioned to Gatten and they left the office.

Keith turned to Logan and shook his head. "Logan, I get you in on the information, and you nearly attack the messenger!"

Logan put his head in his hands and groaned. "I know, Mr. Mars. I'm sorry; I just can't believe they think she has done this!"

Keith leaned over his desk and looked Logan in the face. "You heard me at the hospital, and again this morning. I CANNOT investigate this, I CANNOT help Veronica."

Logan Nodded.

"But you can".

His head snapped up, wondering where this conversation was headed.

"I would be stupid to investigate this thing, I could lose my job. And I have been through that once before, I have a responsibility to my position. The next person I would usually turn to is my daughter, but that is not exactly an option at this point."

Logan felt something strange happening, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"Logan, you have been around my daughter for years. You have helped her with her investigations, as has Wallace, Weevil & Mac. Not only that, but there is no one I would trust more with Veronica's life. And I am sure that over that time, you have both taken notice of and had the benefit of being on the receiving end of her investigative skills."

Logan nodded, still trying to work out what was on offer here.

"I will offer you the Mars investigation office as a base. I will supply you with contacts and files; I will give you everything you need. In return, I want you to tap Veronica's friends and make this a group effort. _Quietly_. I want you to HELP VERONICA"

Logan finally grasped what had been eluding. He was being trusted, by a Mars no less. And not only that.....

This was it. This was the thing that could finally clear the bad karma between the female Mars and himself. This would wipe the slate clean.

Logan nodded at Keith and held out his hand. "I'm in, Keith."

Keith smiled at the use of his first name, and for the first time all day, felt a tiny sense of relief.

"Well then, get going. Call in the reinforcements".

Logan grinned and bought his hand up in a mock salute.

"Yes boss".

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Logan drove to the Mars offices, lost in thought. The sound of a horn drew his attention back to the road and he hastily corrected the steering wheel, getting back into his own lane. He reached down and pulled out his cell.

He scrolled through the address book and pressed send when he found the number he wanted.

"Hello?"

"Mac? Its Logan. Want to come to a party?"

**This chapter is slightly longer – thank god. Bear with me if it seems a little wordy, I am a little rusty with the dialogue!**

**Please Review – and I may even see fit to include some LoVe soon......**

**I swear.....**


	4. The Cavalry Arrives

**I'm so sorry for the huge delay. Between a new job role and writers block that is being shared over in Italy (and soon to be New Mexico); I have had no time or ideas to complete a chapter. But I pushed through for you, my lovelies! The next chapter will be up shortly. Enjoy!!**

Logan opened the door and grinned when he saw who was on the other side.

"Well well. The Cavalry has arrived."

Mac grinned and impulsively hugged Logan.

"Don't worry Echolls, we'll sort this out".

Logan stepped back and let her in. His mind was racing as he closed the door, trying to work out where to start. He was about to make a suggestion when the balcony door slid open.

"Dude! Why the hell is the freaky PC chick here?"

Dick scowled at Mac, mentally preparing himself to face the ex-girlfriend of his little brother. While he had never really seen eye to eye with Mac, she served as a massive reminder to what had happened with Cassidy.

Mac hesitated and nervously turned to glance at Logan. His face was like thunder.

"Dick – for once in your life, learn when to shut up".

"Has this got something to do with that crazy ass ex of yours? I would have expected her to turn up here, begging for some....."

He never got to finish what he was about to say. Logan had him up against the balcony door so fast that he even surprised himself.

"If you bag her out one more time, so help me they will be peeling you off the pavement!"

Dick stared at Logan, his mouth open. He knew Logan was touchy when it came to Veronica, but there was something else going on here.

"Chill! I'm sorry, okay? You know me, I talk before I think. Can't blame me for being myself".

Logan released Dick and stepped back, relenting wearily. It had been a very long day.

Dick stood immobile for another second, before taking a chance. "Has something happened with Blon.. I mean, Veronica?"

Logan glanced at Dick and began to explain. "Veronica was arrested this morning. They think she killed Celeste Kane, and there is evidence that is making the situation look worse by the minute."

Dick stood stunned. "Celeste is dead? And V..... No, that's impossible! I may not like the little sneak, but she's no killer – she's a good guy!"

Mac, who at this point had a leaden feeling in the pit of her stomach, pulled her laptop out from the carry bag and set it on the table.

Logan continued. "Keith can't investigate it, he's too close. But he has organised for the Feds to keep me updated, and we are going to try to get Veronica out of this."

Dick mulled that over for a minute.

"I'm in. Whatever you need. Even if it's something as simple as being the food getter."

In spite of the mood in the room, both Mac & Logan grinned. Dick always did have a way with words.

Logan turned to Mac. "I have to tell you right now, I have no idea where to start. I watched Veronica do this thing so many times, but right now, I'm clueless."

Mac smiled. "It's alright Logan; we'll work it out as we go. I've called Weevil and Wallace, they'll be here soon."

"Thank you Mac."

"No problem. Now, Casablancas, what was that about the food getter?"

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Two hours in and the room was chaotic. Weevil & Wallace had arrived as promised, and suggestions had been tossed backwards & forwards for the last hour as to how it should be handled. Add that to Dick hovering nervously, not sure if he was allowed to add something, and Mac's headache had progressed into a full blown migraine.

As she sat rubbing her temples, she decided enough was enough. She put her fingers to her mouth and whistled.

Blessed silence settled as the boys turned to look at her.

"Okay, clearly that was not a smart idea" she winced, as her hands moved back to her temples. Dick disappeared into the bathroom.

"I'm going to suggest that we get a copy of the security tape from the Kane Estate. That is the one thing that actually places Veronica on the Kane grounds. Everything else could have been planted."

Logan thought it over and silently agreed. "Okay, so Mac has given us the first step. What if we also got her lawyer to request that the samples be retested at a Lab of our... I mean, Keith's choosing? If they complain that it will waste money, I will offer to cover the costs myself".

Weevil smirked. It was a typical wealthy attitude. "Fair enough Echolls. In the meantime, I'll get some of the PCH'ers to sniff around and find out if there has been any ill will to Veronica in the past few weeks. Well, more than usual anyway."

They all grinned. Dick returned to the room and handed Mac a glass of water and 2 aspirin. Surprised, she took them and flashed him a thankful smile.

Wallace spoke up "Well, as I have no money, and no affiliation with gang members, what should I do?" Weevil punched him on the shoulder for that comment.

Logan though for a second. "Out of all of us, you have spent more time in the Mars Investigations office with Veronica. Seeing as Keith offered us the base, why don't you get the keys off him and start checking through the emails Veronica has been getting in the past few months?

Wallace nodded, relieved that he could be of some use.

Logan turned to Mac "What magic can you do on that machine of yours?"

Mac finished the water before replying. "I'll try to dig up as much info on Celeste as I can. There may be something there of use, but right now I don't know what."

"What about me?"

Everyone turned to face Dick, who had been forgotten in the back of the room.

It was Mac who offered up the suggestion. "Why don't you see if you can get in to see Veronica? I know you aren't the best of buddies, but you have an uncanny way of making people laugh – albeit mostly AT you. You might cheer her up, and if that fails, at least you can let her know that we are working on it."

Dick was quite for a second. "Okay. If worse comes to worse, I can regale her with stories of my sexual escapades. People are always fascinated by that for some reason." He ducked as several pillows were thrown at his head.

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So that was the plan. He smiled and pulled off the earphones. It was worth paying top dollar to get the room under the penthouse. It was also amazing at how good listening devices had become.

"They think they can get her out of this. Well, get ready for a rough ride kids, this won't be easy".

He looked through the files sitting in front of him. By far, the biggest threat would be Echolls, who had already shown he was willing to injure people for Veronica. But his client had warned him about that.

The ball was already rolling.

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Veronica stared at the wall, her mind racing. She could not believe that a whole day was blank, that she couldn't remember anything. She was also concerned about how her father was handling this.

She heard footsteps and then a key turned in the lock of her door. Standing up, she watched as Cliff was led into the cell.

"My my, how the cells have changed. I remember when your father was one for the whole iron bar decor of medieval times".

Veronica managed a small smile that disappeared as quickly as it came.

Cliff motioned her to sit down.

"The evidence isn't good Veronica. Between blood, DNA, the knife in your room and the security tape, there is also local knowledge that you and Celeste were not exactly the best of friends."

She swallowed, unsuccessfully trying to remove the lump in her throat.

"So, what happens now?"

Cliff glanced up from his briefcase. "Your father has had to call in two FBI agents to handle the case, and they would like to talk to you."

"Don't you mean question, or interview, or interrogate? After all, I am a murder suspect". The bitterness was evident in her voice.

Cliff stopped consulting his notes and looked Veronica in the face. "Honey, I know this is hard. I also know that you have a fair idea of the process. But Veronica, this is a serious charge, and the fact that you are drawing a blank on last night is not helping you."

"Don't you think I know that? With nothing to do here but wait, don't you think that I am exhausting every bit of my brainpower with trying to figure out what the hell happened last night? I KNOW it's not good, I KNOW it's not helping, I can't do a damn thing about it!" Veronica slumped in the chair, mentally exhausted.

Cliff's heart broke. The strong little girl he had known for so long was nowhere in sight.

"Agents Guillan & Ward will be here in the morning Veronica."

She nodded without looking at him.

Cliff put his notes back in the briefcase and turned to leave. As he knocked on the door however, he made a decision. He walked back to the table & leaned down to Veronica.

"The agents are not the only ones investigating this, you know."

She looked at him "Dad? He's not supposed to, he could lose his job!"

Cliff shook his head.

"No Veronica. Your friends. And if there is one thing I know, it's this – Logan Echolls would walk through fire for you. Don't think that he won't do his damn hardest to fix this." With that he smiled at her and left.

Veronica started to cry.

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Logan glanced at his ringing phone as he walked to the car. It read Private Number. He hit Answer and pressed the cell to his ear.

"Logan Echolls?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"Just a friendly warning. Stay away from the case & stay away from Veronica Mars."

"Who the hell is this?"

"If you don't take my warning, you'll find out soon enough"

The line went dead.

**So, a mystery character with listening devices! And Dick Casablanca has returned......**

**Any comments on who the character may be? I'm not telling yet... Mwahahahaha...... (My best evil laugh ********)**

**Please Review**


	5. The Work Begins

Logan had been staring at the phone for what felt like hours. There was something about the voice, something familiar. Something... _completely_ unobtainable in his current frame of mind.

He shook his head and started to walk back to the car. Opening the door, he tossed the phone on the passenger seat and climbed in. If there was one thing he had learnt from dealing with Veronica, it was that the bad guys eventually outed themselves.

Dick stared at the blonde in front of him, almost at his wits end. He had tried (and failed) to make Veronica laugh, or even crack a smile – even pulling out the dirtiest jokes he had ever heard.

Nada. Nothing. Zilch.

He studied her for a few moments. Veronica had only been in the cells for about 24 hours, and yet she looked like she had been subjected to years without sunlight. The harsh fluorescent lights washed out her skin and complexion, making her look older she was. She was slowly but forcefully twisting one hand through the other, her eyes so blank that she seemed to be staring right through him.

Dick was worried. He would never admit this to a living soul, but part of him admired Veronica. He had seen her ridiculed, tormented and shunned – and she had still managed to walk through it all with her head held high, no matter what was thrown at her. Seeing the fragile girl in front of him somehow made her seem more human, and Dick felt a momentary twinge of pity for her. He decided to pull out all stops.

Staring innocently at his hand, he began "So Mars, did I ever tell you about the time that me, Mac & Weevil had this mad tryst? Yep, leather really turns that girl on – all it took was some mention of the possible blogs she could write from the experience and the girl was all mine. I decided to let Weevil on it; his bike hadn't seen action in ages..."

Dick risked a glance at Veronica and saw what he'd been waiting for. Just the slightest of movements...

The corner of her mouth twitched. Then twitched some more. And soon a slow smile was creeping over her face.

"Did Mac download your Data?"

Inwardly, Dick breathed a sigh of relief. She was there, buried deep, but there all the same.

There was hope yet.

Mac yawned and wearily ran her hands through her hair. She was used to marathon sessions at the computer, but this was insane. Finding information on Celeste Kane was like searching for a specific grain of sand in an hourglass. Absolutely and utterly impossible.

She stood up and stretched her aching limbs. She needed another plan of attack, another avenue to travel down to obtain the information, but her mind seemed to be completely overloaded.

She paced as she began to throw down ideas. "Think Mac, think..." she urged herself, her pacing increasing slightly.

Back and forward. Back and forward.

Suddenly she stopped, and a gleam shone in her eyes.

Running back to the computer, she typed furiously. Within minutes, the number she was searching for was on the screen in from of her.

She picked up the phone and dialled.

"Hello, Duncan?"

"You need to do this, Blondie. Echolls will KILL me if we let you rot in here – although I think Prison Chic looks quite natural on you".

Veronica smiled at Dick, wondering how it was that this side of him came out so rarely. He acted so proud and arrogant, but there was another gentler side that would show on occasion, but only if you knew to look past the smart ass cracks.

"Okay Dick. Let me think".

They sat there in silence, Veronica staring at the floor, and Dick staring at Veronica, willing her to remember.

"Well Casablancas, No luck. The last thing I remember doing was unlocking my front door".

Dick nodded. It had been worth a shot to see if she had remembered anything.

"What about where you have been? No, I don't mean you sex life-" He leaned back as she swatted hit arm. "I mean, where did you go in say, the last 5 days? There has to be some sort of connection to where you were, and where you last remember. Can you write up a list of your last five days?"

Veronica thought about it, and realised that she could do that quite easily.

"I'll find some spare time, because Dick, I am SO busy in here, you have no idea. The Shiv club is petitioning for more rights, and there is an absolute mess to clean up in the exercise yard..."

He grinned at her as some more of her spark began to show.

"I'll have the list for your next visit".

Dick stood up, walked over to Veronica and did something he never dreamed he would do in his entire life. Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her the biggest bear hug.

"Don't worry Mars, We'll get you out of here".

She hugged him back, glad for the comfort, and smiled sadly as he turned to leave.

He waved and left the cell, and Veronica was left with her own thoughts once again.

**Okay, so I know this is short. I am in the middle of SEVERE writers block, and partway through a marriage breakdown, so I have been REALLY slack.**

**I figured the best bet was to simply start writing and see what turned up on the page. I am actually pleased with the results.**

**A big thank you to Breyzie for the continued nudging (from the new mother – CONGRATS!), and another thank you to Rivana, for a very blunt shove into guilt that made me attempt another chapter. Your bluntness is much appreciated.**

**xx**


	6. Ring, Ring

**WOOHOO! 2 chapters in 2 days! Feel the love!**

**I would REALLY welcome reviews... They are my addiction (Which I THOUGHT I had kicked, dammit...)**

**DISCLAIMER – I don't own anything, yada yada yada... Just the dialogue! Rob Thomas earns the big bucks...**

**R&R **

Veronica pushed her hair out of her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. It was common knowledge that prison cells were sparse, and for a good reason. The fact that this cell was located in a Sheriff's department had no bearing on the limited items in the space.

She took a seat on the slim bench lining the wall and buried her face in her hands. What a disaster. Veronica knew that she was forever pushing the boundaries, but some part of her expected that she would continue to narrowly scrape out of problems by the skin of her teeth.

_Why_ couldn't she remember?

She sighed and reached her arms back, rubbing her neck to try and ease the stiffness.

Veronica froze, and then began to slowly probe the right side of her neck with her fingers. There was definitely something there... A lump.

She felt a tingle of fear – what the hell was going on?

Mac hung up the phone and leaned back on the couch. Talk about an exhausting conversation...

For the first time in years, Mac finally understood why Veronica had quiet moments. Moments where she wouldn't hear what was being said to her, moments where she seemed to completely space out. This detective work was definitely rigorous.

The door to the suite opened and Dick walked in. Seeing Mac sitting on the couch, he chucked his keys on the nearest table and collapsed beside her.

"Hold me, Mac baby, I feel blue".

She playfully punched him on the shoulder. "How's Veronica?"

Dick sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "She still can't remember much. I tried to make her laugh for about half an hour before she cracked. And all it took was a suggestion of a possible threesome between You, Weevil & me".

Mac stared at him like he was crazy.

"Say that again?"

"I was desperate! No joke was working, no comment, nothing. I threw out the most insane thing I could think of – I mean, who would seriously believe that we would ever be in that situation?"

They looked at each other, with an awkward silence.

Mac blushed and looked away "You're right Dick, why would a genius like me want a loser surfer like you?"

Dick laughed and reached over to ruffle her hair.

"You know you want me baby, all girls do!"

Mac gave in and laughed – honestly, his arrogance was overwhelming.

Duncan Kane looked at the phone in his hand. That was not a phone call that he had been expecting.

He looked down at the blonde toddler in his arms. Lilly was sleeping peacefully, despite the heat that Sydney was currently experiencing. His heart ached at the thought of losing her, after all that they had gone through to get to where they were now.

But Veronica was a big part of the reason that Lilly was currently resting in his harms. She had faced a felony charge if they had been caught. She had risked everything.

And despite the need to protect his little girl, despite the fact that the murder victim was his own _mother_, Duncan knew he had to help.

Shifting slightly, he picked up the phone again.

"Clarence Weidman please..."

"Hello, Keith Mars"

"Keith? It's Wallace. I need a favour".

"Sure boyo, what do you need?"

"That... thing... that we were discussing the other day, the idea about me taking some of the Mars Investigations caseload. I'm finding it hard to work from home. Is there a chance that I could get the keys to the office and work from there?"

"Wallace, you only had to ask. You can pick them up from Inga at the front desk".

"Thanks Keith, much appreciated".

Logan turned the wheel, following the curve of the road. He had not slept much the previous night. The voice on the other end of the phone had been plaguing him for hours, he knew that the voice was familiar, but had no idea where he had heard it before.

Concentrating more on the voice than the road, Logan refocused to find that he was drifting perilously close to the centre line – straight into oncoming traffic.

He swore and corrected violently, only just managing to maintain control of the car. Damn it! Why the hell was this happening?

Logan had tried more than once to move on from Veronica. The ups and downs of their relationship had nearly killed him, more than once. But in his heart he knew that he was forever tied to the blonde investigator.

No matter how much danger she put herself in, no matter what the situation was, or how much he hated her at that particular moment for doing so, he knew that he would always run after her.

His hate was akin to love regarding her. They were strongest when together, but almost as strong when facing each other.

Logan began to tear up, and considering his recent near miss, pulled over on the shoulder of the road. What began as a single sad feeling gave way to a flood of tears. His body shook as he faced an outpouring of grief that he had never felt before, even with loss of both parents.

No one had ever understood the connection that he had shared with Veronica. He hated her with a passion – but loved her for it at the same time. She challenged him, provoked him, drove him absolutely crazy, and he always went back for more.

He realised that if he lost Veronica, he lost everything.

He loved her with his whole being, and no one night stand, no temporary stand-in would ever come close.

Wiping his face, he composed himself. With a determined look on his face, he started the car.

"Hold on Veronica – This fight hasn't even started yet..."

**Another short chapter, but hopefully a goody.**

**I think I have well and truly kicked the writer's block to the kerb...**

***knocks on wood, and throws flour over her shoulder – wait, FLOUR?***

**I will aim to get another chapter out as fast as possible.**

**Blue Symphony**

**P.S. – Lots of phone calls in this one – it's all building to something, I promise! I will, however, try to **_**dial**_** down the future phone calls – oh, a phone pun! Completely unintentional, I swear...**

***Whistles innocently***


	7. Progress & Revelation

**DISCLAIMER – I don't own anything. Although I would love to. Anyone want to buy it for me?**

Silence.

Well, not quite.

Veronica opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Sparse, devoid of all but the fold out slab for the cot she was currently laying on, and the metal toilet in the corner. Exactly what a jail cell was supposed to be.

'_Think, Veronica. What do you do next?'_

Veronica stretched, and pulled herself into a sitting position. Enough was enough. She could sit her bemoaning her position, or she could use what – limited- resources she could find.

With no memory of the day preceding the murder, she knew that she had to work with what she could remember.

'_One – There was a lump on her neck. Two – this amnesia didn't just pop up out of nowhere. And Three – The video footage'._

Veronica sighed, and stood up from the cot, before falling to the floor with a scream.

* * *

"Finally!"

Dick jumped out of his doze, as Mac proceeded to yell from beside his prone position on the couch. She had been staring at the screen for what seemed like an age.

"Found something, Mac-a-licious?"

Mac looked at Dick and grinned.

"It seems our illustrious Agent Ward isn't as nice as he would appear. He was given an official warning after he botched an investigation against a high profile client in the last five years." Mac stood and walked over to the mini bar. Grabbing a bottle of water, she continued.

"He was sent to the department shrink for court mandated sessions, and the sessions were continued for an additional year. The only problem I'm having is in finding out who the high profile client was".

Dick gave Mac a shy smile. "I'll bet you can find out".

Mac looked back at Dick and returned the smile.

"You bet your surf loving ass I can".

* * *

"What do you have for me?"

He looked at the information in front of him. "Sir, they've found out that Agent Ward may not be on their side. Something about being reprimanded for the incident last year".

"He is expendable. Do not allow them to link him to us. If they get close, remove the problem".

He sighed. "Yes sir. Are you sure that you don't want me to take action against one of them?"

"It hasn't reached that point yet. You will do as you're told, or you don't get paid. It's that simple".

Shaking his head, he agreed.

"Oh, and Vinny? Two things – Firstly, if you try and give me a Vinny special, your family will pay. And secondly – Dick Casablancas is not to be touched."

Vinny stared at the phone as the line went dead. Placing the phone on the bed, he went back to his listening devices.

* * *

Veronica kept her eyes tightly shut as she was wheeled to the Hospice. She knew that this was a risk, but what other choice did she have? It wasn't a normal thing for a prisoner to request a blood test, and even if she did, she had no way of ensuring that it would be granted.

She heard a door open, and a female voice. "This is Veronica Mars?"

There was movement by her head as she heard another voice respond. "Yes, Dr Osborne. She was found passed out in her cell. It was reported that she also passed out when she was found after the murder, however this was attributed to shock".

"Thank you, officer. We'll run some tests".

Veronica heard the door open again, and then silence.

"Wake up, Veronica. I know you can hear me".

Veronica sighed, and opened her eyes. "How did you know?"

Dr Osborne chuckled. "My dear, I see patients pretending all the time. You are very convincing at being unconscious, but your eyes are moving too much for you to be completely out. Now, I'm guessing that you had a reason for wanting to be treated?"

Veronica thought for a moment, before deciding that this woman seemed trustworthy – enough.

"I can't remember the day of the murder. And I don't attribute that to shock". She looked directly at the doctor. "I want a blood test, to see if there is anything else in my system. I don't exactly trust the results from the Kane paid tests".

Dr Osborne laughed at this.

"I can understand why! Celeste Kane was known to many, and loved by few. I met her at a hospital function a few months back, and it left a definite sour taste in my mouth. She is, or rather, was, an A Grade bitch".

Moving to a cupboard, Dr Osborne opened the door and pulled out a syringe.

"I'll take a blood sample, we'll run the standard tests as well as a full blood panel, and see what comes up".

Strapping Veronica's arm, she inserted the needle and began the process.

"Are you being treated okay?"

Veronica nodded, looking everywhere but at the needle. "They wouldn't treat me badly; they don't want any reason for a potential mistrial".

Removing the needle, the doctor swiftly pressed a gauze pad to Veronica's elbow and applied pressure. She placed a bandaid over the puncture mark, and began to write on the samples.

"Did you really pass out before?"

Veronica nodded.

Dr Osborne inclined her head in agreement, and spoke again. "Let's get a urine sample as well, to be sure".

Handing Veronica a container, she motioned toward a door behind her. "Please don't be long, or I will have to send in the officer".

Veronica nodded and entered the bathroom. Emerging a minute later, she sat back on the gurney.

Dr Osborne walked to the door, and knocked. The door opened, and an officer entered. "Could you please stay with Miss Mars a moment?"

The officer stepped inside the room, and Dr Osborne left.

Veronica sat there, still garbed in the non-descript prisoner clothing.

'_Well, that's one issue covered. Should I mention the lump on my neck?'_

The door opened again and the doctor stepped in, her face sombre. The officer left, and she addressed Veronica once more.

"Did you know that you are pregnant?"

* * *

**Please... Don't... Kill... Me...**

**A two year absence and I leave it with a decent cliffhanger.**

**The next chapter is written, and the next half complete.**

**I will regain your faith in me!**

**Blue Symphony xx **


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